Bob Heatlie

Born in Craigmillar, in Edinburgh, Scotland, he started learning the saxophone from his father when he was six years old. He later played drums in his father's band.

His most successful and prominent songs are "Japanese Boy" and "Merry Christmas Everyone", both substantial 1980s pop chart hits across Europe and beyond: the former being a 1981 novelty hit, recorded by Scottish singer Aneka and released by the German record label Hansa, and the latter being a 1985-released Christmas hit, recorded by Welsh artist Shakin' Stevens. Merry Christmas Everyone reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and has since become an annual mainstay of radio airplay around the December holidays.{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Sam |title=Seasonably rich: here's how much musicians make from our favourite Christmas songs |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/blogs/nme-blogs/seasonably-rich-how-much-are-musicians-making-from-our-favourite-christmas-songs-2843879 |access-date=6 October 2021 |work=NME |date=21 December 2020 |language=en}}

Heatlie wrote the songs "Cry Just a Little Bit" (1983) and "Breaking Up My Heart" (1985) for Shakin' Stevens.{{cite news |last1=Scougall |first1=Murray |title=Shakin Stevens' Christmas song writer, Bob Heatlie: Snow wasn't falling all around me and children weren't playing, having fun... but I still knew it was a hit |url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/i-was-in-a-garage-in-edinburgh-and-snow-wasnt-falling-all-around-me-and-children-werent-playing-having-fun-but-i-still-knew-it-was-a-hit/ |access-date=6 October 2021 |work=The Sunday Post |date=15 December 2020}} Heatlie wrote another track for Stevens titled "Woman (What Have You Done To Me)", included on the 1988 album, A Whole Lotta Shaky. The song's remixed version of the same song was featured in Stevens' 2009 release, The Epic Masters. Bob Heatlie then co-produced and remixed nine songs on Stevens' albums. The last single Heatlie worked on with Shakin' Stevens was "Radio", which was released in 1992 and featured Roger Taylor from Queen.{{Cite web |title=Shaky Featuring Roger Taylor - Radio |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/283140-Shaky-Featuring-Roger-Taylor-Radio |website=Discogs}}

In later years, Heatlie concentrated on creating musical compositions for children's television. His career began with the 1986 children's animation, The Trap Door. He composed the music for the documentary series Worlds Apart and the television special The Curious Case of Santa Claus.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

One of Heatlie's partners was Hungarian singer Éva Csepregi, lead vocalist of the disco band Neoton Família. Heatlie produced her solo albums from 1985 to 1992, which gained popularity in the Soviet Union and across Asia. In 1992, Csepregi and Heatlie had a son, David.

Heatlie died on April 8, 2023, at the age of 76.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65301010|title=Merry Christmas Everyone songwriter dies aged 76|first=|last=|date=17 April 2023|accessdate=18 April 2023|website=BBC News}}

• Aneka – "Japanese Boy" (single, 8 August 1981, UK No. 1)
• Cliff Richard – "Locked Inside Your Prison" (album track on Silver (Cliff Richard album), October 1983, UK No. 7)
• Shakin' Stevens – "Cry Just a Little Bit" (single, November 5, 1983, UK No. 3)
• Shakin' Stevens, "Breaking Up My Heart" (single, 2 March 1985, UK No. 14)
• Shakin' Stevens, "Merry Christmas Everyone" (single, 7 December 1985, UK No. 1)
• Ann Turner, "Too Hot to Handle" (runner-up in the UK's Song For Europe Eurovision Song Contest selection TV programme, 1987)
• Shakin' Stevens, "Woman (What Have You Done to Me)" (album track on "A Whole Lotta Shaky," 1988)

• Local Hero: "Why Don't You" (B-side to the single "Daydream Believer")
• Anya – "Moscow Nights" (single, 1985)
• Shakin' Stevens, "Radio" (single, 10 October 1992, UK No. 37)

• Professor Bubble theme tune
• The Trap Door theme tune - vocals performed by Zygott
• Little Robots (2003–2005)
• Kipper (1997–2000)
• Bob the Builder (1997 pilot)
• Sheeep (2000–2001)
• Anthony Ant (1999)
• Percy the Park Keeper (1996–1999)
• First Report (used as the Hevrat HaHadashot theme tune for its 1996 Israeli general election special, and for its main evening news between 1997 and 2003)

• Composed with David Pringle
• Fun House theme tune
• Wheel of Fortune theme tune (title "Spin And Win", published by KPM)

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0372768}}
• {{discogs artist}}
• [http://www.shakinstevens.com/ Official Shakin' Stevens website]

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Category:1946 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:Scottish male songwriters

Category:Scottish record producers

Category:Musicians from Edinburgh